


Family Is More Than Blood

by GingerSpice



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Home means Enterprise, M/M, New Family, One Shot, Shore Leave, bridge crew loves their captain, broken old family, implied Bones/Uhura, more like one line, not really - Freeform, one-sided shouting match, th'y'la
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-08-12
Packaged: 2017-12-23 05:02:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/922304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GingerSpice/pseuds/GingerSpice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Enterprise is returning for a half year of shore leave after their five year mission.  When Jim's stepfather, Frank, shows up, things could get ugly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Is More Than Blood

**Author's Note:**

> based off of this tumblr post:
> 
> http://spocksys.tumblr.com/post/57989485845/kirk-runs-into-his-stepfather-while-on-shoreleave

Kirk watched as group after group of his people beamed down to the surface, their faces lit up with ecstatic smiles as they saluted their beloved captain before they returned to earth for shore leave. It had been a very long five years-but everyone was wiser, proud, and more experienced for it. They were to be earth-side for the next half year, as the Enterprise underwent repairs and the Admiralty decided how to best use their flag ship next.

Eventually, the bridge crew were the only ones who remained aboard the ship, and Kirk could tell that they were all tired, but extremely relieved to be planet side. After their last exhausting mission in their long string of planets--one that had led to three different allergic reactions, two near deaths, and the identification of at least four new species--they deserved it. 

"Well, guys, let's prepare for the frenzy." Kirk said, clapping a hand on Bone's shoulder with a fake grin plastered on his face. His command crew watched him warily, knowing that any time Kirk spent away from his ship, and the people he now called family--jokingly, but they all knew it was true--was painful for the young captain. They took their place on the transporter stations, Spock casually reaching out and brushing their index and middle fingers together in a discreet kiss. The smile that he received was much more natural, and some of the tension seemed to drain from his shoulders at the somewhat illogical actions of his logical first officer.

"Worried, Spock? Don't be--how much trouble can I get into on Earth, with you guys with me?" Kirk said, as Spock merely inclined his head a bare inch.

"Plenty of damn trouble, that's how much." Bones growled, making sure that the entire group heard him. They all shared a few moments of laughter, Kirk smiling with unabashed amusement. 

Kirk looked around at his best friends, family, and lover once more before looking straight ahead, and calling out to the Starfleet-sent technician, "Energize."

 

The bridge crew materialized to the landing dock amid bright camera flashes, cheers, and many voices eager to question the flock about their five year mission. Kirk's smile was relaxed, but Spock and Bones shared a glance as they noticed his shoulders set with roiling tension and a small tremor in his step. The man they called captain had been through things that would quite literally kill a lesser man, and had walked out of it with an ease that could have been called madness. And now, he was afraid to encounter the real world. Bones suppressed a sigh as the crew started walking off the platform, towards the awaiting arms of their on-shore family and friends. Kirk, however, stopped a few feet away, Spock at his side, as the rest of the crew greeted their family. Neither had any relative that they had an desire to see, and, as each others support, were bonded beyond any simple human ceremony. 

As Bones swung Joanna up onto his hip, eliciting a happy cry from her lips, he noticed a scruffy man in the 'family' crowd, and he held Joanna a little tighter as he watched the man walk slowly to the forefront, stopping a few feet in front of Kirk and Spock. Kirk, who had his head turned to talk to Spock quietly, looked back with eyes that flashed in quiet, enraged recognition that was quelled in an instant. The sudden flash of emotion was enough for Bones to hand Joanna to Uhura, who had immediately stepped to the doctor's side, and for Bones to quietly move a few feet closer.

"Hello, Frank." There was ice in Kirk's voice, and his face was a hard mask of cold impassiveness. 

Kirk's adoptive stepfather, then. Spock thinks, his face blank but his mind cataloging the appearance of the man who helped to hurt his t'hy'la in the earlier years, when Jim didn't have the support of his real, true family.

"James." Frank spits this word out as if it was a vile thing, that he couldn't get rid of fast enough. "Your mother is planet-side. She wants to see you, but couldn't make it today."

Kirk's expression, if it was at all possible, grew harder and infinitely more passionate. "If she wanted to see me, she could tell me so herself." His voice was soft, just barely loud enough for Frank and the bridge crew of the Enterprise to hear. "She doesn't want to see me, Frank. The last time she did she nearly had a breakdown."

Bones winced, remembering the incident quite clearly. He had seen obvious signs of child abuse in the relationship between the mother and son, before Jim had even told him about how his mother sent him to Tarsus IV at Frank's urging. That had nearly killed Jim, nearly broken the mighty spirit that was the finest Starfleet Captain in the fleet.

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HER ANYMORE." Frank yelled, almost spitting at Kirk. Spock took a cautionary step forward, ready to incapacitate the man if need be, even as Jim gently stopped him from doing anything else by laying a calm hand over Spock's wrist. The emotions that had been whirling in his head before their beam down, Spock realized, were now calm, if a little restless. He settled, his hands once more folded behind him at the small of his back.

"For good reason," Jim replied, voice still soft, "And for that matter, why should you even care? It's not like you have any reason to start liking me now, since you've always hated me for existing."

"I'm your family. You have to listen to me. Come see your mother!" The last sentence held more rage than before, and the entire bridge crew tensed in preparation, their own joy forgotten.

The laugh that came out of Kirk's chest was surprisingly unforced, and the bridge crew watched him with a confused expression. "You aren't my family," He began, reaching slightly to brush his finger's against Spocks. "I have a family." He used his other hand to point out his entire crew, his smile wide, though it held a trace of sadness. "And they're better than you ever could be." 

With that, Kirk and Spock walked past the flustered man, Kirk smiling at his crew's sudden outburst of cheering while Spock merely raised an eyebrow. Frank watched the crew of the flagship Enterprise surround their captain, confused beyond belief, as Bones took a reluctant step towards him. "Captain Kirk is the best man among us, no thanks to you. Leave." 

Frank stared at Bones, his mouth hanging open, until Bones cocked an eyebrow and he stumbled off, muttering something about ungrateful kids and dead-beat family.

Bones joined the crowd around Jim, Nyota falling easily by his side as they walked towards Starfleet Headquarters, almost escorting Jim to his debriefing. "Thanks, guys. Go home. Get some rest. I'll see you around." 

Each man and woman aquiesced in turn, Bones and Nyota walking with a bouncing Joanna between them as they left. Eventually, Spock was the only crew member who remained, watching Jim with a soft set to his expression. 

"You too, Spock. I'll be home after the debriefing."

Spock inclined his head in acknowledgement, leaning and stealing a quick, entirely human kiss from his t'hy'la. "I will see you in our quarters after you are finished, Jim."

Jim laughed and nodded, before entering the building. Spock turned and walked back towards their apartment, harshly tamping down on the smile that threatened to quirk his lips.

 

Later that night, when the two were wrapped together, Jim burrowed into the Vulcan's warm chest, the brave Starfleet Captain seemed so very vulnerable. Spock wrapped his arms around the man, as they drifted off to sleep, ignoring how illogical it was, satisfied with the fact that he was giving comfort to a man who had been through far to much in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> This was beta'd by the lovely HidingInYourPocket! Thanks, hon! 
> 
> I saw the post on tumblr, and started writing. Normally I stop after a paragraph, but I just couldn't stop writing. It turned into a one-shot, that I very much like. Enjoy!


End file.
